Legislative Brief
Senate Bill 395: Disaster Relief Eviction Moratorium Act
Allows governor to protect renters after natural disaster
SB 395 Summary: Gives the governor power to put a temporary eviction moratorium in place though Executive Order during a declared state of emergency, and to use available state and federal funds to provide rental assistance.
Evictions compound the harm caused by disaster
- When families are evicted from their homes, they aren’t just forced to move. Legal evictions come with a court record that makes it difficult to rent again, and people are more likely to end up in unsafe housing after an eviction. Families may have to leave their communities, and children may have to change schools.
- Studies show that evictions create stress that increases the likelihood of job loss, depression, and other mental health issues, exacerbating the challenges that victims of disaster already face.[1]
Allowing the governor to halt evictions is an important tool for preventing eviction crises following disasters
- Following Hurricane Helene, hundreds of eviction cases were filed in Buncombe County alone, and people facing evictions got little relief from the state or federal governments.
- Giving the governor power to temporarily halt evictions during a disaster that has caused widespread displacement or job loss could protect people from the long-term harms of eviction and prevent a significant increase in homelessness.
More about SB 395
- The initial moratorium is limited to 90 days, but the governor could extend the moratorium in increments of 30 days up to a total of 180 days.
- Only the governor would have the power to rescind or modify the moratorium.
- During the eviction moratorium, the bill gives the governor the power to direct available state and federal funds toward rental assistance programs to mitigate economic impacts on landlords and tenants.
[1] https://evictionlab.org/why-eviction-matters/#eviction-impact
